Typhoid from the Soil. 



Food for 

 Plants 



73 



Editorial from the New York Evening Sun, August 15, 1902. 



Typhoid fever has run through whole families during 

 the present season, and physicians have often been unable 

 to point out the cause. The water drunk by the victims 

 has been found on analysis to be pure and the milk free 

 from germs. It is true the fever has usually been of a mild 

 type — the peculiarity of it was that it attacked all or most 

 of the members of a household in spite of precautions. 

 The Board of Health in Chicago, where there has been a 

 good deal of typhoid this summer, concludes, after investi- 

 gation, that the origin of the trouble can be traced to the 

 eating of raw vegetables — lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cold- 

 slaw, &c. It was first observed that the greatest number of 

 deaths had occurred in districts where the water supply was 

 above suspicion. The milk was analyzed — it was whole- 

 some in most cases. In what is called the Ghetto district 

 there had been more deaths than elsewhere, and as raw 

 vegetables are eaten in great quantities in that district the 

 Board of Health had a clew at last. The vegetables came 

 originally from the country adjacent to Chicago, which has 

 been half submerged by the heavy rains during the present 

 summer. Contamination^ it was proved, had thus been spread 

 from the barnyards, where no sanitary precautions are taken. 

 By the way, why do not Boards of Health teach the farmer 

 something about hygiene and see that he heeds the lesson ? A 

 chart prepared by the department in Chicago shows that the 

 greatest number of deaths from typhoid in that city have 

 occurred in localities supplied by cheap and dubious farm 

 products. Accordingly the Board has issued this general 

 notice : " Do not eat raw and unclean vegetables ; do not 

 buy cheap dairy products; sterilize the milk." The warn- 

 ing will serve for other parts of the country. It is easy to 

 avoid drinking cheap milk and eating cheap cheese, but 

 with the best of care we may consume raw vegetables that 

 have come from a vile farm — the typhoid germ may lurk 

 in a bunch of celery that looks clean enough to the eye. 

 The cooked vegetable seems to be above suspicion. 



